When you’ve gotten hurt in a motor vehicle accident in Missouri, you may assume that the at-fault driver’s insurance will cover your expenses or losses. However, pursuing a car accident claim can become more challenging when the driver who caused the crash lacks insurance. What happens to you if you suffer injuries due to an uninsured driver’s negligence?
Missouri’s Auto Insurance Requirements
In Missouri, automobile drivers must have motor vehicle liability insurance coverage, which pays for expenses arising from accidents caused by an insured driver. Minimum coverage requirements for car insurance in Missouri include:
- $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident of bodily injury/death liability coverage
- $25,000 per accident of property damage liability coverage
Missouri also requires car insurance policies to provide uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury/death. Uninsured motorist coverage applies to provide compensation to an insured individual injured in an accident caused by an uninsured motorist or a motorist who flees the scene (hit-and-run accident).
Drivers can purchase additional insurance coverage from their insurance company, such as collision/comprehensive coverage, underinsured motorist coverage, and Med Pay coverage.
Immediate Steps After the Accident
The first steps you should take after a car accident in Missouri include:
- Report the accident to law enforcement and request a copy of the police crash report from the department in the days following the accident.
- Seek prompt medical attention to document your injuries and follow your doctor’s treatment plan and recovery instructions.
- Collect information from the other driver(s) involved in the crash.
- Notify your auto insurance company as soon as possible to protect your right to coverage.
Filing an Uninsured Motorist Claim
When you discover that the at-fault driver does not have motor vehicle liability insurance, you should alert your car insurance provider as soon as possible to open an uninsured motorist claim. With an uninsured motorist claim, your insurer steps in for the insurance coverage the at-fault driver should have had. Uninsured motorist coverage can provide compensation for various losses you have the right to obtain from the at-fault driver, including medical expenses, costs of long-term care, ongoing and future lost wages, and pain and suffering. After an accident, you should review your auto insurance policy to confirm any deadlines for filing an uninsured motorist claim with your insurer.
When you file an uninsured motorist claim, you will deal with an adjuster from your insurance company. However, even though you have filed a claim with your insurer, you should not assume that the adjuster will want to help you. Instead, the adjuster may seek to minimize your claim to reduce the amount of money the insurance company pays you. Thus, you can best protect your rights by retaining an experienced car accident attorney who can communicate with your insurance company on your behalf.
Options Beyond Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Uninsured motorist coverage in your auto policy may not fully compensate you for your accident losses. However, you may have additional options beyond uninsured motorist coverage, such as:
- Med Pay coverage: This optional coverage in auto insurance policies can help cover medical expenses to treat car accident injuries:
- Health insurance: Your health coverage can help pay for medical care after you’ve exhausted other primary insurance policies, such as uninsured motorist or Med Pay coverage
- Suing the at-fault driver: You can also file a car accident lawsuit against the uninsured driver (Missouri has a five-year deadline for car accident lawsuits); however, many uninsured drivers have limited financial resources, meaning you may not recover much money from a lawsuit.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer Today
Contact Dreyer & Tinney Law Firm today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer to discuss your options for seeking financial compensation for your injuries and losses after a car accident in Missouri caused by an uninsured motorist.